the underrated youth

prologue

~liana's pov~

          I don't think the sky has ever looked more beautiful than it does right now. The sun has just began to set behind the line of trees surrounding us, leaving an arrangement of pretty colors in its path. On one side, the sky is still bright blue, with rays of light breaking through and illuminating the sparse clouds. On the other side are shades of purple, red, and orange flowing into one another to create an astounding sunset. The atmpsphere of the oncoming night paired with the sounds of nature makes the world feel tranquil. For the first time in months, I feel completely at peace.

          Beside me, I hear Mitchel pull a lighter out of his pocket and light up one of his cigarettes. We sit quietly for a few more minutes; him taking hits while I continue to gaze up at the sky. We lay in the grass parallel to each other. I don't want to speak first, I don't want to ruin this moment. When he breaks the silence, he doesn't look at me. He just keeps his eyes closed, like he's floating on air and his head is in the clouds with no plans to come down.

          "What do you want to do before you die?"

          His question takes me aback, and even though I know he can't see me, I send him a bewildered look. "What?"

          "If you were to die tomorrow, what would you say is your biggest accomplishment? What would you do today if you knew tomorrow would be your last?" He replies softly, like he's half asleep. I stare at him while I think over his question. There are so many answers I could give him: I wish I had became rich and owned the mansion of my dreams, or maybe we finally overpowered the government that stile our childhood and families from us. So many responses I could say, but in the end none of them leave my mouth.

          "I don't know," I answer truthfully. Because I don't know. Death is terrifying. It could happen at any moment, so you live every day like it's your last, because every day that you are still breathing matters. "There's so much I haven't done, but there's so much I have done also." He sighs while he lets my answer sink in. When he doesn't reply, I ask, "What about you?"

          Though only halfway, his eyes are open now. They reflect the sky as he peers up at the colors, his iris' mirroring the blue. "I don't thimk there's  anything else I want than what I already have," he finally responds. My eyes meet his as he turns his head to look at me.

          "Really?" I ask, but I already know the answer.

          "What more could I ask for?" He answers confidently. "I have a home filled with people I care about. A group I call my family. And I have you." He pauses. "And after everything we've been through, I'm still smiling. Shouldn't that be enough?" A shiver runs through my body as his eyes bore into mine. I don't know what to say, so instead I smile and reach out to touch his hand. When my eyes turn back to the sky, he intertwines his fingers with mine.

          As he's lifting the cigarette to his lips again, I ask, "What brought this up?" Smoke falls from his lips as he exhales.

          "I've just been thinking a lot about everything. You, me, us, our community, I'm just so grateful for everything that we've made." Without warning, he sits up and turns his body to face me. "Everything we've went through, we dealt with together. You're my best friend, Liana." I prop myself up on my elbows, then pull him into a tight hug. I bury my face in his shoulder as his arms encircle my waist and pull me closer. "I love you," he mumbles into my neck.

          "I love you too."

~i don't really know what this is but i kind of like it. should i make this into a full short story or nah?